Pbtee william eohde



(No Model.)

P. W. ROHD E. WATGH BALANCE.

No. 380,769. Patented Apr. 10', 1888.

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. through the staff directly to its pivots.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER WILLIAM ROHDE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MEINERS & SCHUETTE, OF SAME PLACE.

WATCH-BALANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,769. dated April 10, 1888. Application filed November 16, 1887. Serial No. 255.297. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER WILLIAM RorrnE, of New York city, New York, have invented a new and Improved Balance-Staff for Watches, of which the following is a specification.

This-invention relates to a balance-staff. for watches, so constructed that thebalance-wheel is not rigidly connected thereto, as heretofore, but is connected thereto by means of a yield ing coupling. I

I have found that when a watch is dropped or is otherwise roughly handled its principal injury results from the fact that the violent motion of the balance-wheel has a tendency to break the pivots of the balance-staff, inasmuch as the motion of the Wheel is communicated y connecting the wheel to the staff by a yielding coupling the pivots of the staff will not be affected by the motion of the wheel. As a result I have found thata watch can be dropped on a floor without injuring the staff and without stopping the watch.

The invention consists in the various features of improvement, more fully pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a back view of a watch provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a back view, on an enlarged scale, of the balance-wheel. Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on line or m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar section showing the parts under the effects of a concussion.

Fig. 5 is a detail central section of the sleeve Ir. Fig. 6 is a similar section of a modification.

The letter a represents the balance-bridge of a watch, having a socket for receiving one of the pivots of the staff b, the other pivot of which is received by the foot-hole c, as usual. The staff b is provided with the roller d, with ruby-pin e,which is engaged by the forked end of the anchor for reciprocating the balancestaff, also as customary.

f represents the balance-wheel, heretofore rigidly secured to the balance-staff by its rigid diametrical arm 9. I propose to enlarge the opening in the arm 9 that receives the balancestafi to such an extent that the balance-staff passes loosely through the saidopening and that the balancewheel has a lateral play around the staff. The motion of the balance staff is transmitted to the balance-wheel, not through the arm 9, as heretofore, but by means of an additional radial arm, h. One end of this arm h is secured to the staff I), while its other end enters an aperture in the balance-wheel f.- Thisaperture is of such an enlarged size that the end of arm It has free play therein, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. a

j is the hair-spring of the watch.

In order to properly center the balance-staff b, I use a conical sleeve, in, Fig. 5, that surrounds the staff and projects with its contracted end into the opening of arm 9. A fine spring, it, serves to hold the sleeve up. and in contact with arm 9.

To prevent any lateral motion of the balancewheel f,when the watch is thrown down, from drawing the staff sidewise, I surround the balance-wheel by a flange, a, secured to the backplate, 0. The distance between the periphery of the balance-wheel and this flange should be less than the distance between the balance-staff and the edge of opening in arm 9. Thus the balance-wheel will be checked by the flange n in its lateral motion before it can tear the staff from its pivotal supports.

When the watch is in use, the motion of the anchor reciprocates the stafi, and the. latter (properly centered by sleeve 70) reciprocates the balance-wheel in the proper manner by arm it.

If the watch should fall, the arm 9 of balance wheel will either by direct or rebound motion force the sleeve 70 downward against the action of spring m. The motion of the balance-wheel will not disturb the staff, as neither the arm h nor the sleeve 70 transmits such motion to the staff. The downward motion of the sleeve R will open the central hole in arm g to a greater or less extent to permit a lateral motion of the balance-wheel in addition to the upright motion. The lateral motion will, as already described, be checkered by flange n, Fig. 4, be fore it affects the balance-staff, and thus the staff will remain always in its normal central position without becoming strained. If the disturbing influences cease, the spring at forces the sleeve is back into its normal position.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 6 the balance-staff is surrounded by a cone, 7e, rigidly fixed to the balance-staff. A yielding sleeve, 75 bears against the lower side of the arm 9 by spring at. In its normal position the cone is centers the balance-staff. Under disturbing influences the arm 9 of balancewheel depresses sleeve is, and as the arm descends the distance between the face of the cone 7c and the central opening in arm gis increased. Thus lateral motion of the balancewheel is permitted that will not affect the staff.

WVhat I claim is- 1. The combination of a balance-staff with a balance-wheel,and with a yielding centeringsleeve loosely surrounding the staff, and with an arm connecting the staff with the wheel, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of balance-wheel having a perforated arm, with balance-staff passing loosely through said perforation, and with a yielding centering device, and with a radial arm connecting the balance-wheel with the balance-staff, substantial] y as specified.

3. The combination of balance-wheel having a perforated arm, with balancestaff passing loosely through said arm, and with a yielding centering device, and with a radial arm connected at one end to the staff and entering with the other end an enlarged opening in the balancewheel, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of balance-wheel having a perforated arm, with balance-staff passing loosely through said arm. and with a conical centering device. and with a radial arm connecting the balance-wheel with the staff, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a'balance-wheel with a balance-staff, and with a yielding centering device, and with a flange around the balancewheel, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of balance-wheel having perforated arm, with balance staff passing loosely through said arm, and with a centering device, and with a connecting-arm, and with a flange around the balance-wheel, subt stantially as specified.

PETER \VILLIAM ROHDE.

Witnesses:

F. V. BRIESEN, ALFRED JONGHMANS. 

